The newly finished platform, at the Peace Pagoda.

It’s done! The weather beaten platform in front of the Peace Pagoda in Milton Keynes has been replaced by a brand new one, ready for next year’s 40th Peace Pagoda Ceremony.

I went to Willen to see it on Monday. It was raining. The new platform was built using a warm coloured stone. The path around it and up to the pagoda have also been replaced, in the same material. The new stone goes well with the yellow bricks on the pagoda. It looked great, despite the weather.

Willen Lake and the new platform, from the Peace Pagoda.

In January I told you about the project to replace the cracked and sagging original platform, expected to be completed by October this year. It was finished on time.

The 40th year is an important milestone and it means a lot to have a platform to be proud of at the pagoda ceremony, which will be in June.

Next at the pagoda will be the Sunrise Welcoming Ceremony, at 8am on New Year’s Day. But  there will be New Year’s Eve chanting the night before at the temple from 11 pm.

The old cracked platform, in January